Full strut decoy

[BRONZ]

Been think'n about getting one?  What's your experience...

1. Gott'a have one!

2. Not necessary.  Standard jake works fine.

My favorite is a jealousy set up with a jake mounted on a hen.  Wondered if a strutter might be good in the mix or in the evenings?

[huskyarcher]

All depends on the bird and the time of year. Early in the year you cant beat a strutter (preferably jake IMO) They get attacked, and lead to easy kills.

BUT they will spook lesser birds (2yr olds and jakes) and late in the year it will turn of even the biggest of birds.

Personally, i use my Killer B (which is named Peterson) and a hen. I also like the mating set, in the early to mid season when i set up.

As the season grows older howevver, i will switch to a regular jake and hen and even just a hen, (alot easier to run and gun with as well)

Overall IMO a strutter is worth it, ive had alot of birds try to kill him and thats awesome to watch, but just as many birds have been killed with a standard jake.

Just get out and have fun, and best of luck to you  

[snakebit40]

I'm trying out a Heads up decoy this year. They are made out of Hays, KS! I've heard great things about them, just do a Google search and you will find them. You can stake them in the ground or mount them on your bow.

[BRONZ]

TTT

[kbetts]

I have one and don't use it.  It's the "pretty boy" and too big to carry.  The one time I did use it, I ended up having to shoot the bird as he was leaving scared.  I think it looked too intimidating.

[Gen273]

I have one, but I don't use it much. I think they work the best early in the season; so if you are going to try one go ahead and have it for your first hunt.

[m midd]

X2 what Huskyarcher said

[meathead]

I use one.  It does work best early in the season.  I put an old beat up jake fan on mine.  Usually have a hen decoy out with it.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

i have one and have not had much luck with it. You need a real dominant bird for it to work. i have much results with a jake and real tail behind him with a single hen decoy

[Fritz]

I used a jake strutter with a hen last yr in KS and had 2 big toms that shied away and wouldn't come in. This was at the end of April, so maybe it was just too late for them to be that aggressive? Mine is a pretty boy and very bulky to carry.

[Gary Logsdon]

I remove the stakes/legs from my hen and place her flat on the ground in a submissive position ... combining that with a gobbler w/movable (real) fan tail has been a deadly combination . . .even late season on mature longbeards.  For me the VERY BEST decoys are still actual mounted turkeys.  I have an old mounted jake that looks like he's been hit by a gravel truck, nicknamed him "Frankenturkey".  We have shot more exception longbeards off of him than all of the plastic variety decoys combined. You can't beat a set of glass eyes and real feathers whenever the birds become decoy shy.  I have killed several using "Frankenturkey" while wearing  a Shaggie suit.

[Ray Lyon]

I use a 'turkey skin' on my hen decoy. I've had hens come right up to it and peck it. There's something about those little feathers ruffling in the wind that makes a difference.

[Gary Logsdon]

Exactly, don't think for a moment that real feathers and a painted freeze dried head doesn't make a difference.  I hunt big Easterns that see a lot of predators, human and otherwise, and they use their fantastic vision - often at great distances, to scrutinize other "turkeys" in the field.  Subtle, natural movements, such as a twitch of a feather here and there can make the difference between them coming in for a closer look or not.  The way that light falls on a real deke can make a heck of a difference as well.  I have been hunting turkeys with a bow for decades, often without a blind, so details mean a LOT.  The last 12 or so years I have limited my shots to mature longbeards only, making it even tougher. Knowing an area WELL, the habits and habitats of the turkeys that YOU HUNT, comes first of course.

[snakebit40]

Do you guys skin your own turkey's to put them on decoy's?

[Ray Lyon]

Jon,
I bought mine commercially at a Gander Mountain store.  It slides over a hen decoy and then there are two velcro tabs that you attach underneath the bottom of your decoy to hold it in place.  Commercially it might be called 'turkey skinz', not sure but I got it about 3-4 years ago.

[OS]

The Turkey Skinz are sold by A-Way hunting products and they work Great!  I have used the full struting tom decoy and have had my BEST action when I put the tom out by its self, no other decoys.  I have put a 3/4 strut jake on top of a hen decoy and shot birds at 5 yards but when I use the full strutter it always works better when that is the only decoy.

[jonsimoneau]

I just looked up that turkey skinz product, and that seems like an excellent idea!  Think I will try some of those since most birds that see my decoys dont come to them, or they don't come close enough.

[snakebit40]

Would it be that hard to make your own "turkey skinz"? Would it be like skinning and tanning anything else?

[ksbowman]

Snakebit, My hen turkeyskinz is made by glueing feathers on a nylon suit with the two velcro straps. I had it stored in a tack room and the dog got it one day and I colleted all the feathers and reglued the with barge cement.

[BRONZ]

Walked into Cabelas last night and there was a display at the entrance, lighted by a beam from heaven, full strut decoys marked down to $19.99!  And me with $27 in points.  The Good Lord said, "Give it a try!"